Carl Bledsoe

Carl B. Bledsoe
Carl B. Bledsoe
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
	In office; 1973–1991
Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives
	In office; 1981–1991
Preceded by	Robert F. Burford
Succeeded by	Chuck Berry
Personal details
Born	October 6, 1923; Aroya, Colorado, US
Died	June 5, 2012 (aged 88); Aroya, Colorado, US
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Alice Elizabeth Cotellessa (m. 1946)
Children	3
Alma mater	University of Colorado Boulder; Colorado State University

Carl Beverly "Bev" Bledsoe (October 6, 1923 – June 5, 2012) was an American politician in the state of Colorado, representing the Eastern Plains counties of Colorado in the state House of Representatives. He served as Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1981 to 1991, making the longest tenured speaker ever in the state's history.

Bledsoe was born in Aroya, Colorado, to Carl and Josie Bledsoe. He attended public schools and graduated from Kit Carson High School. He attended the University of Colorado Boulder, he served in the United States Army in World War II, attaining the rank of sergeant. Upon his return, he studied for a Bachelor of Science degree in animal husbandry from Colorado State University and began ranching near Hugo.^[2]

Prior to his election to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1973, Bledsoe sat on and chaired many county political, school, and veterinarian committees. He served nine consecutive terms in the house and led the legislative audit and finance committees. He retired in 1991. He died at his home in Hugo in 2012 at the age of 88.^[3]^[4]

References

^ "Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly". Colorado Virtual Library. 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Sharp, Nancy Weatherly; Sharp, James Roger (1997). American legislative leaders in the West, 1911-1994. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-30212-1. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
^ Bartels, Lynn (June 5, 2012). "Bev Bledsoe, longtime Colorado House speaker, dies at age 88". Denver Post.
^ "In Loving Memory of Bev". Memorial Networks. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.

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[1] "Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly". Colorado Virtual Library. 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2021.

[legleaders-2] Sharp, Nancy Weatherly; Sharp, James Roger (1997). American legislative leaders in the West, 1911-1994. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-30212-1. Retrieved January 9, 2012.

[3] Bartels, Lynn (June 5, 2012). "Bev Bledsoe, longtime Colorado House speaker, dies at age 88". Denver Post.

[4] "In Loving Memory of Bev". Memorial Networks. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.

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